Environment

One example that can be mentioned is that as early as 2001 we replaced the solvent-based paint used for our wooden components with water-based paint.

It does not harm the external environment and it also creates a clean and safe working environment for our paint staff. We are also the first window manufacturer to start coating aluminium profiles in an environmentally friendly way. The method involves the complete replacement of chrome, which is hazardous to the environment, with environmentally friendly substances. The quality is the same.

In our unique window designs the part of the window which is exposed to the weather is constructed entirely out of maintenance-free aluminium. We consequently don’t need to use toxic preservatives to protect our product against rot. An additional environmental benefit, for both nature and our employees.

We have been developing and refining the product for many years, and it now has an extremely hard-to-beat service-life. Moreover, our windows are virtually maintenance-free.

All in all, this produces a very low life-cycle cost. It is definitely not a product which will need to be quickly replaced and it therefore also has a low environmental impact. However, no products last for ever. That’s why it is a matter of course for us to use recyclable materials in our production.

LEIAB’s stated objective is to work for a better environment by endeavouring in its activities to:

• Develop windows that are easy to maintain and energy-efficient.
• Achieve a manufacturing process that is more resource-efficient/environmentally friendly.
• Satisfy the customer’s environmental requirements.
• Collaborate with environmentally conscious suppliers
• Provide a label detailing all materials included in the products

Brf Hamnutsikten (the harbor view) in Skoghall, at the northern part of Sweden’s largest lake.

• The wood raw material comes from sustainable and responsible forestry. Wood suppliers have FSC/PEFC certificates.
• No wood on the outside that needs to be impregnated. An environmental benefit for both nature and our employees.
• Water-based paint system.
• Aluminum on the outside that can be recycled without loss of quality.
• More than 40% of the aluminum in our windows is recycled aluminum.
• Powder coating that is applied via a Chrome free process.
• Expected lifespan of 70 years. No weathering or deterioration of the timber components.
• Environmental declarations such as EPDs and approved products to be used for buildings to be Nordic Ecolabeled.
• Relatively short distances to subcontractors in Sweden, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Finland.
• All forklifts are electric.
• Sorting and recycling of materials.
• Deliveries with a return system of construction pallets, aluminum baskets, glass racks and return bins.
• Only production against customer orders. No windows or components are left over and may have to be discarded.
• Transports in and out with fully loaded trucks to reduce the number of transports.
• Modern machines that are energy efficient.
• Heating with district heating fueled by waste products from local sawmills.
• Waste timber shavings from the window production annually are converted to timber pellets and provide an alternative energy source.
• Environmental goals and environmental work to improve ourselves further.

Our products are designed and manufactured to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Each product has a construction product declaration, which provides information about the product’s environmental impact.

We also have EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) on the products. An EPD is basically a life cycle analysis (LCA) that has been carried out in a standardized manner and has also been reviewed by an independent third party. It is a document that presents the environmental impact of a product in a transparent and comparable way.

You can read LEIAB’s environmental product declarations (EPDs) on the EPD International website under the EPD library tab by entering LEIAB in the search field filter.

We have had the pleasure of supplying windows and patio doors for approximately 190 apartment units in one of London’s new exciting residential areas; The Material Store in Hayes. Comprising a total of four buildings, including an 11 storey high rise, the first batch of windows were delivered in March 2017 and the final delivery was in 2018.

The unique and challenging feature about this area in London is where it is situated. A mere five kilometres from Heathrow Airport, and with railway lines running just outside the apartment units, we knew that we had to deliver challenging sound reductions in our window´system while still maintaining a stylish design. As can be seen from the photos this has been achieved.

In order to meet the Employers high acoustic requirements and to confirm the design, we conducted various tests on window units identical to the ones to be installed in the apartments prior to going into production They had to be able to reduce very specific, low sound frequencies on account of the heavy duty diesel locomotives passing by just outside. Our design team, alongside with our suppliers, devised an elegant solution involving a double frame system, which provides the required sound reduction and also allows for easy ventilation. With the double frame construction, sound reduction can reach levels as high as Rw 69 dB and the frame depth can range from 175-285 mm in accordance with the Employers requirements.

Most of the windows and patio doors are quite large, the ones greatest in size measure a width of 1200 mm and a height of 2500 mm. Out of the total 1700 window and patio door units, approximately 500 used a double frame construction.

The four ‘warehouse’ blocks of Material Store rise above a podium and surround an oasis of private patios and a large common garden. The parking below the podium is concealed behind 3-bedroom town houses that animate the street with their steps and ‘front’ doors.

The 189 build-to-rent homes enjoy generous shared facilities that promote a sense of community in the context of private rented sector (PRS) tenure.

Awards

Housing Design Awards
2019 shortlisted – Completed Projects
British Construction Industry Awards
2019 shortlisted – Housing Project of the Year
Brick Awards 
2018 shortlisted – Large Housing Development
Inside Housing Development Awards
2018 shortlisted – Best Build For Rent Developmen